An image sensor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a pixel array configured to include a plurality of pixels corresponding to a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns that include one or more first column groups and one or more second column groups and are disposed in a direction crossing the plurality of rows and a data sampling unit configured to sample pixel data of a first column group of a first row and to sample pixel data of a second column group of a second row, wherein the first column group and the second column group are alternatively arranged.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An image sensor comprising: a pixel array configured to include a plurality of pixels corresponding to a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns that include one or more first column groups and one or more second column groups and are disposed in a direction crossing the plurality of rows; and a data sampling unit configured to sample pixel data of a first column group of a first row and to sample pixel data of a second column group of a second row, wherein the first column group and the second column group are alternatively arranged.
2. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the pixels of the first row integrate photo charges for a first period and the pixels of the second row integrate photo charges for a second period longer than the first period.
3. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the data sampling unit samples the pixel data of the first column group of the first row and the pixel data of the second column group of the second row together.
4. The image sensor of claim wherein the data sampling unit samples the pixel data of the first column group of the first row in a period in which the first row is selected and the pixel data of the second column group of the second row in a period in which the second row is selected.
5. The image sensor of claim wherein the first and second rows are adjacent to each other among rows having the same pixel patterns as each other in the pixel array.
6. The image sensor of claim 5 , wherein in the pixel array, the first column group includes at least one column, and the second column group includes at least one column.
7. The image sensor of claim 6 , wherein the data sampling unit includes: at least one analog-to-digital conversion unit configured to correspond to at least one of the plurality of columns, and convert output signals of the pixels output from the respective column into data of digital signals; at least one voltage transfer unit configured to correspond to at least one of the plurality of columns, and transfer or block the output signals of the pixels output from the respective column to/from the analog-to-digital conversion units; and a control unit configured to activate the voltage transfer units corresponding to the columns included in the first column group in the period in which the first row is selected, and activate the voltage transfer units corresponding to the columns included in the second column group in the period in which the second row is selected.
8. The image sensor of claim 7 , wherein the control unit controls the pixels of the first row to integrate photo charges for a first period and the pixels of the second row to integrate photo charges for a second period longer than the first period.
9. The image sensor of claim 7 , wherein the control unit outputs the output signals of the pixels of the first row in the period in which the first row is selected, and the output signals of the pixels of the second row in the period in which the second row is selected.
10. The image sensor of claim 7 , wherein the analog-to-digital conversion unit converts the output signals of the pixels transferred from the activated voltage transfer unit in the period in which the first row is selected, and the output signals of the pixels transferred from the activated voltage transfer unit in the period in which the second row is selected, into the data together.
11. The image sensor of claim 1 , further comprising: a binning unit configured to calculate tuned values of the pixel data output from at least one of the first column group of the first row and the pixel data output at least one of the second column group of the second row.
12. The image sensor of claim 11 , wherein the binning unit calculates the tuned values by allocating larger weighted values to the pixel data output from at least one of the second column group of the second row, when the values of the pixel data output from at least one of the first column group of the first row and the values of the pixel data output from at least one of the second column group of the second row are smaller than the target value, and calculates the tuned values by allocating the larger weighted values to the pixel data output from at least one of the first column group of the first row, when the values of the pixel data output from at least one of the first column group of the first row and the values of the pixel data output from at least one of the second column group of the second row are larger than the target value.
13. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the data output from one of the first column group of the first row is a first data, the data output from a column adjacent to the column outputting the first data, among the second column group of the second row, is a second data, and the binning unit calculates the tuned values of the first data and the second data.
14. The image sensor of claim 13 , wherein the binning unit calculates the tuned values of the first data and the second data by allocating larger weighted values to the second data when the values of the first data and the second are smaller than a target value, and calculates the tuned values of the first data and the second data by allocating the larger weighted values to the first data when the values of the first data and the second data are larger than the target value.
15. The image sensor of claim 13 , wherein the binning unit calculates the tuned values of the first data and the second data depending on the following Equation 1 when the values of the first data and the second data are larger than the target value, and calculates the tuned values of the first data and the second data depending on the following Equation 2 when at least one of the values of the first data and the second data is smaller than the target value ( value of first data * value of second data + value of second data * value of first data ) ( value of first data + value of second data ) [ Equation 1 ] ( value of first data * value of first data + value of second data * value of second data ) ` ( value of first data + value of second data ) . [ Equation 2 ]
16. The image sensor of claim 13 , wherein the binning unit calculates the tuned values of the first data and the second data depending on the following wing Equation 3 ( value of second data * ( maximum value of data - value of first data ) + value of first data * value of first data ) maximum value of data . [ Equation 3 ]
17. A method of operating an image sensor including a plurality of pixels corresponding to a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns where include one or more first column groups and one or more second column groups and are disposed in a direction crossing the plurality of rows, the method comprising: sampling pixel data of a first column group of a first row in the pixel array; and sampling pixel data of the second column group where are alternatively arranged with the first column group.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising: integrating photo charges for a first period in the pixels of the first row prior to sampling the pixel data of the first column group of the first row; and integrating photo charges for a second period longer than the first period in the pixels of the second row prior to sampling the pixel data of the second column group of the second row.
19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising: calculating tuned values of the pixel data of at least one of the first column group of the first row and the pixel data of at least one of the second column group of the second row.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein in the calculating of the tuned values, the tuned values are calculated by allocating larger weighted values to the pixel data output from at least one of the second column group of the second row, when the values of the pixel data output from at least one of the first column group of the first row and the values of the pixel data output from at least one of the second column group of the second row are smaller than the target value, and the tuned values are calculated by allocating the larger weighted values to the pixel data output from at least one of the first column group of the first row, when the values of the pixel data output from at least one of the first column group of the first row and the values of the pixel data output from at least one of the second column group of the second row are larger than the target value.
21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the data output from one of the first column group of the first row is a first data, the data output from a column adjacent to the column outputting the first data, among the second column group of the second row, is a second data, and the binning unit calculates the tuned values of the first data and the second data.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein in the calculating of the tuned values, the tuned values of the first data and the second data are calculated by allocating larger weighted values to the second data when the values of the first data and the second are smaller than a target value, and the tuned values of the first data and the second data are calculated by allocating the larger weighted values to the first data when the values of the first data and the second data are larger than the target value.
23. The method of claim 21 , wherein in the calculating of the tuned values, the tuned values of the first data and the second data are calculated depending on the following Equation 1 when the values of the first data and the second data are larger than the target value, and the tuned values of the first data and the second data are calculated depending on the following Equation 2 when at least one of the values of the first data and the second data is smaller than the target value ( value of first data * value of second data + value of second data * value of first data ) ( value of first data + value of second data ) [ Equation 1 ] ( value of first data * value of first data + value of second data * value of second data ) ` ( value of first data + value of second data ) . [ Equation 2 ]
24. The method of claim 21 , wherein in the calculating of the tuned values, the tuned values of the first data and the second data are calculated depending on the following Equation 3 ( value of second data * ( maximum value of data - value of first data ) + value of first data * value of first data ) maximum value of data . [ Equation 3 ]
25. The method of claim 17 , wherein the sampling of the pixel, data of the first column group of the first row includes converting the output signals of the first column group of the first row in the period in which the first row is selected, into data of digital signals, and the sampling of the pixel data of the second column group of the second row includes converting the output signals of the pixels of the second column group of the second row in the period in which the second row is selected, into data of digital signals.
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December 17, 2012
February 3, 2015
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